Wire-and-slat-fence-making machine



(No Model.) 2 Shets+$heet 1. J. EDMONDSON, WIRE AND SLAT FENCE MAKING MACHINE.

.No. 422,749.- Patented Mar. 4, 1890..

[No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. EDMONDSON.

WIRE AND SLAT FENCE MAKING MACHINE.

No. 422,749. Eg Patented Mar. 4, 18 90.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN EDMONDSON, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

WIRE-AND-SLAT-FENCE MAKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 422,749, dated March 4, 1890.

Application filed October 3, 1889. Serial No. 325,902. (No model.)

. citizen of the United States of America, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVire-and-Slat- Fence-Making Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference bein g had to the accompanying drawings, and

to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Myinvention relates to machines for making wire-ancbpicket fences,the special object of the machine being to make the style of fence in which a number of pairs of wires are twisted so as to embrace the pickets or slats, said pickets or slats being arranged so that they will be alternately of different lengths to provide a wire-and picket fence which will be close at the bottom and comparatively open at the top; and my invention consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved machine for making wire-and-picket fences. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the jaws of the twister-head. Fig. 3 is a detail end View of one of the twister-heads. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken through the line 00 20 of Fig.

2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken through the line y y of Fig. Fig; 6 is a sectional view of a part of the clamp-bar. Figs. 7, S, and 9 are side views of different styles of fence which may be constructed upon the machine.

Arefers to the frame of the machine, which consists of four vertical corner-posts which are suitably connected to each other by longitudinal side pieces and c1. and transverse cross-pieces, as shown. To the side pieces are journaled shafts B and B, the shaft 13' being mounted in suitable hangers located beneath the side pieces a, while the shaft B is journaled in boxes let into the side pieces, To the side pieces a slight distance below their upper edges are secured rigidly strips 17 and stops 2), and upon the strips aforesaid the pushei bar and clamp slide, as will be more particularly hereinafter described.

At the front portion of the frame is rigidly secured a transverse strip 0, provided at suitable intervals with bearin gs for the front ends of the frames which carry the spools, and at the front of the machine is journaled a short stub-shaft carrying a miter-wheel c, which meshes with a wheel a for rotating the spoolframes and shafts connected therewith. The miter-wheel o is turned by the ordin ary cranlo handle.

0' refers to a cross-piece rigidly mounted upon the frame and provided with journals, within which lie the collars d, formed upon, the gear-wheels D, the said gear-wheels having attached centrally thereto a shaft (1, which extends beyond each side thereof, one end being connected to the spool-carrying frame to be on a line with the short shaft (Z journaled upon the cross-piece C.

The spool-carrying frames are made up of a strip of metal bent as shown in Fig. 1, and the portions which extend parallel with the axis carry pins e, upon which the spools containing the wire are mounted. To this spoolcarrying frame is attached one end of a metal plate F, the opposite end carrying a springplate F, which is attached thereto by means of a thumb-nutf', and this device acts as a tension for the spools, the tension being regulated by turning the thumb nutf upon the screw 5 threaded end of the pin '9, which or ration. clamps the spri'r" the spool. The vided with pine tions in the pla turning with th e.

The gear-whe mesh with each other, so that each spool-frame and parts connected thereto will rotate in opposite directions, or idle-wheels may be interposed, so that each of the spool-frames and twister-heads will rotate in the same direction. The wires from the spools are passed through openings in the, gear-wheels D on each side of the shaft upon which said gear-wheels are mounted, and from thence they pass to the twister heads G.

The twister-head consists of a casting G,

having recesses and a central opening g, to

which the shaft d is secured by set-screws or extend at right angles with the main portion of the finger, and provide, when the two fingers are in position, a rectangular opening, through which the wires from the spool pass, said wires being guided by short sections of pipe or tubing H, which are secured in the casting by set-screws h, so that they can be adjusted to and from the ends of the fingers. The flanges g of the expanding fingers are inclined, and the casting G is also cut away,

so as to provide a space in which the pickets can be inserted. The fingers G are held together by an elastic or spring band, which permits the free ends of the same to open, so that the pickets can be forced beyond the same by the presser-bar.

I refers to the picket-pusher, and consists of a board 1, upon which is secured at suitable intervals brackets l which are provided near their upper ends with V-shaped recesses 11, and when this picket-pusher is moved toward the front of the machine these recesses i in the brackets will lie forward of the openconnected by suitable bars t" to the lever J on I 7 one side and 011 the other to a short arm which extends from the opposite end of the rockshaft B, which provides a-means for operating the same. To the under side of the board I are securedtwo proj ectingfingers iiwhich pass through openings or slots in a transverse bar, to which the clamp bar, to be hereinafter described, is hinged, and it is also provided with metallic strips 2' with downwardly-bent ends which engage the aforesaid bar to retract the same or move it toward the twisterheads when desired. The bar K, which has guides through which the projecting fingers 1' pass, is rigidly connected to said pieces 75, which slide upon the strips 6, attached to the inner sides of the longitudinal pieces a of the frame, and to the pieces 76 are connected rods 7c, which are pivoted to the projecting arms of the rook shaft 13, said rock-shaft havin 0 a crank-arm 75", from which depends a bar K pivoted to the lever k provided with a stirrup,.as show-n,.said stirrup being located so that the lever and parts connected thereto can be operated by the foot while one hand is manipulating the lever J and the other the crank-handle which rotates the spool-frames and twister-heads.

To the transverse bar K is hinged what I term a cla1np-bar,the said device consisting of apiece of wood of sufficient length to extend across theframe of the machine, and one edge of this clamp-bar L is recessed or rabbeted for the reception of a metallic strip L, which is provided with slots Z, correure of said block. tween these clamping-jaws with plates m, I which will prevent the wires from dropping sponding in number with the number of twister-heads, and through these slots pass the lower ends of blocks Z, which are rigidly bolted to the clamp-bar, and between the blocks Z and the clamp-barL the strip L can be slid. To the strip L is rigidly secured blocks Z through which pass horizontal bolts Z", which clamp thereon an end block Z which is recessed, and between the block Z and block Z is interposed a rubber packing or washer, so as to permit of a slight give or spring press- The barL is provided-bedown and resting upon the upper edge of the clamp-bar. The metallic strip L is moved in one direction by a spring m and in the opposite direction, so as to clamp the wires between the blocks, by a lever M, having a cam-head, said lever being pivoted to one end of the bar L. To the center of the clampbar is secured an arm M, carrying a weight which serves to hold the clamp-bar and parts attached thereto in position against the wires,

and at the same time permits the ready depression of the same when it is desired to release the clamps and move the clamp-bar jand pusher back to their original position. i The upper surface of the clamp-bar is inclined, as shown, so that the picket may rest upon 1 the same, which is especially desirable when ings in the twister-heads. The board I is diamond-shaped pickets are used in the construction of the fence. The clamp-bar M drops by its own weight when the wires are 1 released and is raised by hand when a picket comes into position. I j

N refers to a supporting-bar which is secured to the upper edges of the longitudinal 1 pieces a by springs 91, and the edges of this bar are rounded, so that the fencing can pass or slide easily over the same to the reel 0, g the shaft 0 thereof being secured at one end to the rear legs or supports of the frame by a journal 0 and a lever 0, (shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1,)- said lever having one edge notched to partly embrace the rounded end 5 of the reel-shaft, while the opposite end engages with a. removable pin which enters the leg to hold the lever in contact with the shaft.

The opposite end of the reel-shaft fits into a box or rectangular socket mounted upon the inner end of a short shaft, the outer end of which carries a ratchet-Wheel P, with which spring-actuated pawls p and p engage, one of said. pawls being pivoted to the support ing-leg, while the other is pivoted to a'lever P which lever is journaled loosely upon the shaft of the ratchet-wheel and has an out wardly-projecting weighted. arm for automatically moving the lever in the direction indicated by the arrow, and thus'turning the reelshaft. The movement of the lever is limited in one direction by an abutment p pivoted so that it can be turned in and out of the path of the lever P, as desired. The reelshaft 0 has a series of fingers or cleats attached thereto in exact line with the center of thetwisting-heads, which are beveled on one side, and beneath these cleats the ends of the wires or fencing are placed, and to remove the reel it is only necessary to detach the reel-shaft by loosening the lever which holds one end of the shaft in place, and, loosening the set-screw in the box at the other end, lift the roll out and remove the shaft.

The machine hereinbefore described is especially adapted for making fencing after the styles illustrated in Figs. 7, 8, and 9, or any such modifications thereof as may be desired, and the parts of the machine co-operate in making such a fence, as by the use of the tubes or hollow fingers, which are adj ustable, the twist may be shortened or lengthened, as desired. By employing the expanding fingers the twist will begin close up to the picket.

In using the machine the operator stands in front with his left hand upon the lever J, a

. picket being inserted between the expanding fingers of the twister-head, and his right foot rests in the stirrup attached to the lever 70 The lever J is then raised to a vertical position, which carries the picket through and beyond the expanding fingers and against the clamp-bar, leaving a small space between the fingers of the twister-head and the picket. The clamp-bar is prevented from moving forward by the pressure of the operators foot in the stirrup while the picket is being forced up by the pusher-bar tightly between the wires. When this is done, two revolutions are given to the twister-heads by turning the crank-handle connected to the miterwheel 0, after which the foot is removed from the stirrup and the lever J brought forward until the slides of the clamp-bar strike the strip Z9, which movement carries the finished fabric forward and it is automatically wound upon the reel-shaft by the operation of the weighted lever P. The camlever of the clamp-bar is now swung to open the jaws and release the wires, and the said clamp bar will drop down, and at the same time the lever J is thrown back to its original position, which will bring the clamp-bar and picket-pusher to their proper positions, and said operation is continued until sufficient fencing has been woven. The extended vertical end of the lever P admits of its being returned to its first position by hand, the

weight merely assisting such movement. I

The special object of the clamp-bar is to secure equal length of all the wires, so that the pickets will be parallel with each other.

Having thus described. my invention, I claim- 1. In a machine for making wire fences, a spool carryin g frame mounted on short shafts, said frame being bent,.as shown, to receive two spools, pins for supporting the spools, and tension-springs having upwardly-projecting pins which engage with the slotted bar or plate, held upon the spool-shaf ts by adj usting nuts, the opposite ends of said slotted plates 7 vided with a series of stationary being rigidly secured to the spool-carrying frame, substantially as shown ,-and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a machine for making wire fences, a twister-head consisting of a casting having a recessed front end, within which recess are pivoted jaws having overlapping ends, said casting also carrying adjustable tubes and a spring-band for holding the jaws together,

substantially as set forth.

3. In a machine for making wire fences, a twister-head having pivoted jaws which overlap each other at their free ends, a spring for holding said jaws together, and the frame or casting to which the jaws are pivoted having an opening through which the picket can be passed, said frame being secured. to a shaft, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

4.. In a machine for making wire fences, a twister-head consisting of a body portion cut away at its forward end and provided with side recesses, jaws or expanding fingers pivoted thereto and provided with overlapping ends, an elastic or spring for holding the expanding fingers together, and tubes H, adj ust ablyattached to the head, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 5. In a machine for making wire fences, the combination, with the spool-carrying frames, intermeshing gear-wheels, and twister-heads, of a sliding bar having brackets, a rook-shaft -having connecting-straps which engage with said sliding bar, and extending-straps having bent ends which engage with a sliding frame carrying a clamp-bar, so that said clamp-bar can be operated in one direction by the movement of the rock-shaft, substantially as set forth.

6. In a fence-machine, the combination of the spool-carrying frames and rotarytwisterheads with expanding jaws through which the pickets may be passed, a sliding pusher-bar with brackets having notches which engage with the pickets, said pusher-bar being adapted to be projected and retracted beyond the twister-heads by the mechanism shown, a clamping=bar having a series of laterally-moving jaws attached to a sliding metallic strip which can be operated in one direction by the movement of the pusher baiythe transverse bar to which the clamping-bar is attached being connected to a rock shaft provided with a foot-lever for operating the same, together with stationary jaws against which the mova ble jaws are adapted to be pressed, substan tially as set fort 7. In a wirefence machine, a hinged bar pro projections, and a bar earryin g clamps having springcushions adapted to be moved toward the rigid projections to embrace the wire, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a wire fence machine, a hinged or pivoted lever provided with a series of stationary jaws and a series of movable jaws connected to a sliding strip, and a weighted arm, substantially as shown,and for the puri gages with a miter-wheel attached to the stubi shaft d a'spool-carrying frame the'opposite end of which is provided with a shaft d, upon ;the end of which is secured a twister-head, gear-wheels D, having flanges or collars d operating in bearin gs, a reciprocating bar hav- ;ing brackets with V-shaped notches which is adapted to be moved beneath and beyond the twister-heads, a reciprocating clamping-bar having a series of stationary and correspond ling series of movable jaws, a guide N, connected to the main frame by a spring, and a reel automatically operated in one direction I by aweighted arm and spring-actuated pawl, the parts being constructed and organized substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

pose set forth.

9. In a machine for making wire fences, a sliding frame connected to a main frame and 5 adapted to be actuated by alever, said frame carrying a bar having a series of clampingjaws and a lever for operating said clampingjaws, said bar being hinged or pivoted to the sliding frame and having a weighted armfor elevating the forward edge of the clampingbar, together with stationary jaws against which the movable jaws are adapted to be pressed, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth. 7

10. In a machine for making wire fences, a lever carrying aspring-actuated pawl which engages with a ratchet-wheel mounted on a stub-shaft which engages with the reel-shaft, a projecting arm carrying a weight for operating said lever in one direction, and a pawl for preventing the backward rotation of the ratchet-wheel and reel-shaft, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

11. The combination, in a wire-fence 1nachine, of the main frame having at one end a miter-wheel and operating-handle which en- In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN EDMONDSON. Witnesses:

M. P. NOLAN, L. E. CUSTER. 

